Info Center

News & Features

Foodology Food Drive Launched

Dedicated Semester Event Open to All

In conjunction with the 2012 Dedicated Semester topic, Foodology,
Fontbonne University is conducting a Fall Food Drive to benefit
Operation Backpack, a local organization that serves children in need.

Everyone is invited to participate.

What is Operation Backpack?Each week, Operation Backpack
provides backpacks filled with kid-friendly, healthy food to 3,500 St.
Louis area children who rely on the free and reduced price school lunch
program and might otherwise go hungry all weekend. Full backpacks are
distributed to children on Fridays, the empty packs are returned to
schools on Mondays, repacked with food at Operation Backpack’s warehouse
in University City on Wednesdays, and the cycle continues.

Why is this important?Nearly
4 million children in the United States live in food insecure
households. Food insecurity (not knowing where or when your next meal
will come) has serious academic, health, social, and psychological
effects on children. In the St. Louis metro region, 200,000 children
struggle with food insecurity and their ranks are growing as more
families face difficult economic circumstances.

How can I donate? In the tradition
of our founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph, the Fontbonne community is
serving the dear neighbor and collecting donated food* and funds to
Operation Backpack. Blue food donation barrels are located in academic
buildings on the Clayton and Brentwood campuses. Fontbonne is also
conducting a virtual food drive online. Through the organization’s low
operating expenses and bulk food purchases, Operation Backpack is able
to turn a $1 donation into $20 worth of food. Just $5 fills a backpack
with food for a weekend.

In conjunction with the Dedicated
Semester Committee and Ad Club, there will be food drive donation tables
in DSAC at Griffinsanity (formerly Late Night) on Friday, Nov. 2, from 6
– 9 p.m. and on Monday, Nov. 19, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Students who
donate either food or funds at those events may enter to win raffle
prizes from sponsors including Pointer’s Pizza, the Fontbonne Athletic
Department, Smoothie King, My Daddy’s Cheesecake, Einstein Brothers
Bagels, and Bommarito of Hazelwood. Additional sponsors include Gary
Rogers State Farm Insurance and The Great Frame Up of South County.

Special thanks to the students enrolled in Advertising 496 for promoting this year's food drive.

*The most wanted food items include canned tuna or chicken, soups and chili, granola bars, peanut butter and jelly, fruit cups in 100 percent juice, juice and juice boxes (also 100 percent juice), baked beans, canned ravioli, individually packaged snack crackers and canned vegetables. Operation Backpack asks that the foods be healthy and kid-friendly because the children often have to prepare meals and snacks for themselves. The organizations also stresses no glass and no perishable items.